Michelle May M.D. - Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students: a Mindful Eating Program to Fuel the Life You Crave

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students
A Mindful Eating Program to Fuel the Life You Crave

Published by Am I Hungry? Publishing
P.O. Box 93686
Phoenix, AZ 85070-3686

Copyright 2015 Michelle May, M.D.

All rights reserved under all copyright conventions.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission from the publisher.

Distributed by Am I Hungry? PLLC

For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Am I Hungry? PLLC at PO Box 93686, 480.704.7811 or .

Am I Hungry? is a trademark of Am I Hungry?, P.L.L.C.

Based on Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating for Students Program

Visit www.AmIHungry.com for Mindful Eating for Students Instructor Training and other resources.

Library of Congress Preassigned Control Number: Pending
ISBN 978-1-934076-41-5 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-934076-42-2 (pdf e-book)
ISBN 978-1-934076-43-9 (epub)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE READ

In view of the complex, individual nature of health and fitness issues, this book, and the ideas, programs, processes, and suggestions are not intended to replace the advice of trained medical and behavioral health professionals. All matters regarding ones physical and mental health require medical supervision.

The authors role is strictly educational in the context of this book and course materials. The author is not providing any assessments, individualized therapeutic interventions, or personal medical advice. Seek medical advice from your personal health care provider regarding your personal risks and benefits insofar as adopting the suggestions of this program.

The author disclaims any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book or course.

Dedicated to all of my students over the years.

You have been my greatest teachers!

Also by Michelle May, M.D.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat:

How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Binge Eating:

A Mindful Eating Program for Healing Your Relationship

with Food and Your Body

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Athletes:

A Mindful Eating Program for Sports and Life

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes:

A Mindful Eating Program for Thriving

with Prediabetes or Diabetes

Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program for Bariatric Surgery

Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Virtual Coach

(Mobile app)

Available from www.AmIHungry.com

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THANK YOU.

T hose two simple words represent much more than I can possibly express here. Those two words also apply to many more people than I can possibly include here. Yet, I am deeply grateful for the events and the people that have been a part of this journey.

Thank you to the thousands of individuals who have shared their secret struggles with yo-yo dieting with me. Whether during an Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating workshop, retreat, or conference presentation, please know that I have learned as much from you as you have from me. I am humbled by the many Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Facilitators, Therapists, Coaches, and Instructors who invest their precious energy to guide their participants and communities back to wholeness. I am grateful to my early teachers, particularly Lisa Galper, Psy.D., and for the many voices of reason that have continued to swim against the current in this diet-crazed world. I believe the tide is finally turning.

A special thank you to Dr. Marisol Perez and the students who provided me with insights and stories: Melissa Bevilacqua, Amanda Martin, Elyse May, Tyler May, Nowed Patwarz, Colleen Quinn, and Stephany Torres. Thank you to Kari Anderson, Laurene Larson, and Erin Staples for your contributions to this book and to my editor Janet Holston for your sharp eyes and insights. To Brandi Hollister, our book and cover designer, your talented fingerprints are all over these pages. Thank you!

I deeply appreciate my many dear friends, family members, and colleagues who have believed in me all the way. Thank you to my children, Tyler and Elyse, whose love and laughs mean the world to me, and to my husband, Owen who nourishes me and brings joy to my life.

INTRODUCTION

D o you love to eat? Do you obsess about everything you eat? Do you ever feel guilty when you eat certain foods? Do you feel deprived when you dont get to eat what you want? Are you confused about what youre supposed to eat? Do you eat while youre doing other things, like watching TV, studying, or driving? Do you eat so fast that you barely notice the taste after the first few bites? Do you feel stuffed at the end of a meal? Do you eat because youre hungry? Do you eat because its time to, because the food looks good, or because youre stressed, bored, or one of a hundred other reasons? Do you think of exercise as punishment for eating? Or do you exercise to earn the right to eat? Have you forgotten that the purpose of eating is to fuel your life?

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students will help you discover how to eat mindfully, savoring every aspect of the experience. Youll learn to eat the foods you love fearlessly, without guilt or overeating. Youll learn how to trust your natural ability to eat the right amount of foodand meet your other needscoping with stress or relieving boredom, for examplein more fulfilling ways.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students is based on the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program that helps people change their relationship with food. Our program has been adapted for diabetes, binge eating disorder, bariatric surgery, workplace wellness, athletes, and now, for students. Am I Hungry? mindful eating programs have been shared with tens of thousands of participants by hundreds of licensed Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating facilitators, therapists, coaches, and instructors in twenty countries.

What is mindful eatingand how does it help? Mindful eating has its roots in an ancient mindfulness practice with profound modern applications. Mindfulness is simply awareness of the present moment without judgment. When you become aware of your physical stateyour thoughts, your feelings, and your actions as they are in the here and nowevery choice you make is an opportunity to understand why you do the things you do and then to choose differently the next time if it will serve you better. Whether youve struggled with food, plan to work in a health-related field, or simply want to learn more about mindful eating, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students will provide you with the skills and tools to make more conscious decisions.

Throughout this book, youll read short stories that illustrate key concepts. Let me start now by sharing my story about how I came to do this work.

Picture a little girl with red hair, lots of frecklesand slightly chubby. My parents didnt have a lot of money so we didnt waste food. Besides, there were starving children in Africa. My athletic, skinny younger brother could, and would, eat anything that wasnt nailed down, so I made sure to get my share first. My grandmothers were both wonderful cooks and I learned early on that food was love. My mother, on the other hand, was slender and dieted to stay that way. She was the only one in our family who never ate her baked potato. I believed that when I grew up, I wouldnt get to eat potatoes anymore either.